Tape feeder for packaging machines



June 6, 1950 J. D. MERRIFIELD EI'AL 8 TAPE FEEDER FOR PACKAGING MACHINESFiled Jan. 9, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l fill" Mn 'Hll INVENTORS JoH/v D.MERE/FIELD BY Eve/a2 E. MERE/FIELD A TTORNE Y June 6, 1950 J. 0.MERRIFIELD ETAL TAPE FEEDER FOR PACKAGING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Jan. 9, 1948 34 INVENTORS JOHN MERE/FIELD y Evan/2 EMERR/F/ELDATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE TAPE FEEDERFOR PACKAGING MACHINES John D.-Merrifiel d, Rocky Ford, (3010., andEdgar E. Merrifield, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application January 9, 1948, Serial No. 3,584

1 Claim. 1.

invention relates to a device for feeding strips of tapev into asewingniachine so that they may be stitched upon opposite sides of theneck of a bag for sealing the latter. Many devices have been devised forfeeding tape to bag stitching machines for this purpose. All of themhave been more or less unsatisfactory due to the fact that the tapesused for this purpose are usually formed from paper, are very fragileand constantly subject to breakage, due to starting and stopping of themachine.

Tape breakage usually results from the fact that the reels of taperotate relatively rapidly, and when the machine stops their momentumcauses them to continue to rotate for a short period, producing aslackness in the tape. When the machine is again started, this slack issuddenly taken up and the resulting jerk in overcoming the inertia ofthe stationary reel results in breaking the tape.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a tape feedingdevice for bag stitching machines which will eliminate the constantbreakage-of the tapes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device in which thetape reel will be mechanically rotated so that there will be no strainupon the tape, and to provide automatic braking means for quicklystopping the tape reel should the machine come to rest so as to avoidslackness in the-tape.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved tape feeding device, illustratingit in combination with a bag stitching machine; and

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

In the drawing, a typical bag is illustrated at It], to the oppositesides of the neck of which two tapes II and I2 are to be stitched bymeans of a conventional sewing machine I3. This invention relates tomeans for feeding the two tapes II and I2 to the opposite sides of theneck of the bag III so that they may be stitched thereto.

The tape II is unreeled from a tape reel I I, and the tape I2 isunreeled from a similar tape reel IS. The reels l4 and i5 are freelyrotatable upon a stationary reel shaft I6 which is supported from, andprojects oppositely outward from, a vertical standard IT. The standardI! is secured to and extends upwardly from a base plate 32 supportedupon angle brackets 33 from an upright frame 35.

A plate I8 is mounted on top of the standard I1. Two tilting brackets l9are mounted on opposite sides of a pivot post 26 projecting upwardlyfrom the plate I8. The brackets I9 extend rearwardly to receivepull-down springs 2| andextend forwardly to receive resilient pulleyrods 22, each of which supports a tape pulley 23.

The tape II is led from the reel l4 over one of the pulleys 23, thencedownwardly into a flattened tape guide tube 24 supported on the sewingmachine I3. The guide tube 24 guides the tape II downwardly, thenceinwardly into the path of the needle of the sewing machine l3 along oneside of the neck of the bag Ill. I

The tape I2 is led from the reel I5 over the other pulley 23, thencedownwardly about a guide pulley 25, thence horizontally into a secondtape guide tube 26, which is curved to guide the tape I2 into the pathof the needle of the sewing machine I3.onto the opposite side of the bagIll.

It can be readily seen that the advancing actionof the sewing machinewill advance the bag H and the two tapes II and I2 through the machinecausing the tapes to rotate the reels I4 and I5. The tapes are unreeledfrom their respective reels by positively rotating the reels I4 and I5.This is accomplished from any suitable driving motor (not shown) throughthe medium of an endless drive belt 21. The drive belt rotates a drivepulley 23 mounted on a countershaft 29 which is rotatably mounted inbearings 35 mounted upon bearing posts 3i extending upward from theplate 32.

Two pulleys are secured to the inner face of each of the reels It andI5, there being an inner brake pulley 35 and an outer driven pulley 35.The pulleys 35 and 36 are secured together in pairs and each pair issecured to its respective reel so as to rotate therewith about the axisof the shaft I6.

The countershaft 29 carries two pulleys 3?, each of which is connectedwith one of the pulleys 36 by means of an endless belt 3%. An idlerpulley 3% is held against the tension side of each belt 38. The idlerpulleys are mounted on arms 40 which are pivotally mounted upon a hingeshaft 4| extending oppositely outward from the standard l1. Each arm 40is constantly urged upwardly by means of a tension spring 62. Thus, itcan be seen that rotation of the pulley 28 in a counter-clockwisedirection in Fig. 2 will cause the reels l4 and 15 to unreel theirtapes.

A flexible brake member 43 extends downwardly from the plate l8 ahead ofeach brake pulley 35, thence returns around each pulley and upwardly toone of the tilting brackets 19. the action of the springs 21 in pullingthe brackets l9 upwardly also acts to tighten the brake members 43 abouttheir respective brake pulleys 35 to exert a braking action on the drumsi l and I5.

The sewing machine 13 is mounted on a vertical plate 44 supported on theframe 34. The sewing machine is driven in any conventional manner (notshown). The thread, indicated at 45, for stitching the two tapes to thebags is carried on a thread spool 45.

When the sewing machine 53 is operating, the reels I 4 and [5 are beingrotated forwardly at their tops, by means of the belts 38, to unreel thetape and the pulleys 23 are drawn downwardly by the tension in thetapes. Should either tape unreel faster than it can be used by thesewing machine [3, or should the sewing machine be stopped for anyreason, a slackness will be created in the tape or tapes. This allowsthe tape pulleys 23 to move upwardly under the influence of the springs22 and causes the bracket arms I9 to apply tension to the brake means33. This retards rotation of the reels, causing the tension side of thebelts 38 to force the idler pulleys 39 outwardly. This slackens thebelts and allows them to slide over the pulleys 38, with the reels [4and I5 either moving at a slower speed or remaining stationary until theslackness in the tapes has been taken up.

Tapes are often broken in the usual apparatus by the sudden starting ofthe machine. In this device a sudden start will first flex the pulleyrods 22, then flex the springs 2| so as to absorb the starting shock inthe tape. By this arrangement both tapes II and [2 are maintained undera constant mild tension, regardless of irregular operating conditionsand regardless of the quantity of tape on the reels i4 and I5.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may beThus,

varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent 1s:

A device for feeding tape to a sewing machine of the type used forstitching the neck of a bag for sealing the latter, comprising: twotubular tape-guiding members terminating at said sewing machine; twotape reels mounted above said machine; a hingedly mounted pulley rodextending forwardly from each tape reel; a pulley supported by each rod;a tape extending from each tape reel over one of said pulleys, thencedownwardly to one of said tape-guiding tubes; a spring urging eachpulley rod upwardly to support said tape between its reel and themachine; a brake drum on each reel; a flexible brake band extending froma fixed support about each brake drum, thence upwardly to one of saidpulley arms so that when said pulley arm is pulled downwardly by itstape, said brake band will be released; a counter-shaft mounted parallelto said reels; drive pulleys on said reels and on said countershaft; adrive belt extending from each reel to one of the pulleys on saidcounter-shaft; an idler pulley bearing against the tension side of eachbelt; a hinged idler arm supporting each idler pulley; a spring actingagainst each idler arm to hold said idler pulley against the tensionside of each belt; and means for driving said countershaft.

JOHN D. MERRIFIELD. EDGAR E. MERRIFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

